Good Friends Indeed
by Jaina Solo1
Summary: Kenshin makes a slow recovery after the intense fight for Japan with Makoto Shishio. His friends are there, though, to lend a helping hand. (WOW! That sounded SO corny! I swear, it's not as corny as it sounds... Or, maybe it is. ;;)


Guess who's back! Back again! Okay, I'm done, heh… Anyway, after two or three years of not posting anything here, the fanfiction Gods have thrown me this booger to unfold. I'm surprised it's something other than Star Wars—Star Wars fanfiction being my #1 love (go Jaina and Jag! And Wedge and Iella!)—but I'm as big a Ruroken fan as I am Star Wars, so it's Kenshin's turn to shine.

Anywho, the bulk of this lil' fic takes place smack dab in Rurouni Kenshin episode 61—the time between Kenshin's return to the Shirobeko, and the month that passes as he recovers and recuperates. Strangely enough, the idea for this fic was loosely inspired by my own father's stroke—after his stroke, he was heavily medicated and placed in a state of demi-consciousness for several days. He was sort of awake, and somewhat aware of his surroundings (enough to get up and move around), but when he finally came to his senses fully, he had no recollection of the days that had passed.

So! The usual schpiel—Rurouni Kenshin belongs to the one and only Nobuhiro Watsuki, not me; I just get to play in his world and have my jollies. I hope you enjoy this fic, and please feel free to comment, critique and flame me all you want (my skin has gotten a bit tougher over the years). Upon reading my other fics, I'm somewhat sad to say that those were written a bit better (I'm reeeeeeally out of practice), but hopefully I'll be inspired again to keep my writing skills sharp and intact. Spanks a hooey!

-----Good Friends Indeed-----

"You have some very dedicated friends, Himura." Okina sat across from Kenshin, sipping his tea. "You've been a good friend to them, and in turn they have taken good care of you."

"They are good friends, they are," Kenshin replied. "They have been by my side through more than I could have ever asked. This one owes them so much."

At Kenshin's inquiring, Okina had told Kenshin what had happened since Kenshin fell unconscious after they returned to the Shirobeko. Okina had explained that Kenshin had been in a coma for nearly a week, and it was almost another week before he came to his senses. Kenshin could hardly remember any of it.

-----

Kaoru was in the kitchen, attempting to form normal-looking riceballs when she heard Megumi's voice calling her. "Kaoru, could you help me for a minute?"

"I'll be right there," she called back. She wiped the remaining rice off her hands, sighed at her deformed riceballs, and then took off towards Megumi's voice.

Megumi was, as usual, in Kenshin's room. Ever since she had arrived in Kyoto at the Shirobeko, she had not strayed far from Kenshin's side. Neither had Kaoru, for that matter—the both of them, as well as Yahiko, Sanosuke and the Oniwabanshuu had been keeping watch over Kenshin around the clock, and for good reason. Upon returning to the Shirobeko from the tolling fight with Makoto Shishio, Kenshin had remained uncouncious for nearly a week. He has just recently come to, though it was painfully obvious that he had not fully come to his senses.

"Is something the matter?" Kaoru asked, trying to keep the worry out of her voice.

"I'm having trouble keeping Ken-san's wounds clean because there are so many of them, and because I haven't been able to move him much," she said, tying back her hair with a bandana. "Since he's come around a little bit, I think it's safe to move him to the bath room. I'd like to bathe him so I can clean his wounds better, and I need some help."

Kaoru froze for a moment. _Bathe_ Kenshin? Did Megumi mean to strip Kenshin, stark naked, so that the two of them could wash his cuts? _Megumi's a doctor_, she thought, _so bathing a patient probably isn't a big deal for her, but I…_ Embarrassment flooded through Kaoru at the thought of seeing Kenshin unclothed.

She stopped herself. _No,_ she thought to herself. _Kenshin is in dire need of help right now, and I'll do anything for him._ She decided that Kenshin was probably too out of it to remember anything, and that a little embarrassment is something she could deal with. "Sure, I'll help," she replied.

Megumi nodded. "I've already removed the bandages, so all we have to do is clean them." She leaned down next to Kenshin. "Ken-san," she said quietly, but forceful enough for him to hear.

Kenshin's eyes fluttered for a moment before stopping to open halfway. Megumi put a hand on his shoulder and spoke again. "Ken-san, do you think you could sit up for me a bit?"

A lump formed in Kaoru's throat. Megumi had assured her that Kenshin's comatose state was only his body's reaction to having to overcome so much injury, and that his mental state would heal as his physical state did. However, listening to Megumi speak to Kenshin in such a child-like way was disheartening. Seeing him this way made it hard to be optimistic for a full recovery.

Kenshin lay there for a moment, his eyes still half-open and glazed over. But then he made a soft sound, and then slowly raised his head a bit. His hands, which he apparently lacked control of, flailed some as he tried to push himself up a little more. Megumi was right there, her hands supporting Kenshin's right shoulder. Kaoru took the cue and put her hands beneath his left shoulder, and after a few seconds the two pulled Kenshin into a sitting position. They held him there as he found his balance, obvious that his muscles had lost some of their strength during his state of unconsciousness.

"All right, Ken-san," Megumi said in her authoritative voice. "We're going to help you stand up. Do you think you can stand up for a while?"

Kenshin, whose face was drooped, made a small motion with his head. It was almost unperceivable, and whether it was a confirmative or negative gesture, Kaoru couldn't tell. But Megumi took charge, wrapping Kenshin's right arm around her shoulders, and Kaoru did the same with his left. "Ready?' Megumi looked at Kaoru. She nodded. After a silent count of three, they hoisted him to his feet.

Perhaps Kaoru was stronger than she thought, or maybe Megumi was bearing most of the weight, but Kenshin's feeble body felt like nothing in her arms. His feet tried to ground themselves, but like the rest of his body, he had trouble controlling them. After a few failed attempts, he was finally able to gather his feet underneath him, and Megumi didn't hesitate for a second. "Okay, we're going to go for a walk. Kaoru and I will help you."

Kaoru felt a twinge of anger towards Megumi. Couldn't she see the condition Kenshin was in? Here she was, asking him to sit and stand and walk, not even giving him a chance to gather his bearings. Why was she rushing him so? How could she be so insensitive? But no, Kaoru realized. Megumi wasn't being insensitive. Of anyone, Megumi was probably the one _most_ sensitive to Kenshin's needs. Kaoru knew that it was probably best to get things done quickly, rather than slowly, so that Kenshin's body would have the least amount of strain placed upon it.

After another silent count, in unison Megumi and Kaoru began to walk Kenshin forward. The first few steps were more like _dragging_ him—his feet weren't very responsive—but eventually he regained his footing and started taking slow, weak steps. _A weak step is better than no step_, Kaoru thought, trying to maintain some optimism. He hesitated every few strides, as if he lost his balance a bit, but his stride became a little surer with each step. Eventually, after several slow minutes, Kenshin, Kaoru and Megumi found themselves in the hall next to the kitchen, where Yahiko and Sano were raiding Kaoru's riceballs.

"Hey, Kenshin, looking good!" Yahiko said cheerfully through a mouth full of rice. It made Kaoru happy to see that Yahiko was keeping the faith, though she was sure it was just as difficult for him to see Kenshin in such a state as it was for her.

Sano chimed in. "Hey, I got beat up pretty bad myself, but I don't have two women hanging off of my shoulders. What's up with that?"

"Women hanging off your shoulders? Ha! Only in your wildest dreams," Megumi barked back. Kaoru giggled a bit at their banter, until something out of the corner of her eye stopped her. Kenshin, held up by Kaoru's shoulders, did not raise his head, and his eyes were still glazed over. But the corner of his mouth twitched into some semblance of a smile.

Kaoru's heart welled up. Their words were reaching Kenshin, somehow! But then the smile was gone, as fast as it had shown up, and Kaoru's heart sank a little. _It's something_, she told herself. _We're getting through to him, at least a little_. Megumi motioned for Kaoru keep walking, and the two of them continued their steady walk until they finally reached the bath room.

The two of them stopped Kenshin at the center of the bath room, and Megumi dropped Kenshin's arm. Kaoru nearly panicked, in fear that Kenshin would fall if Megumi weren't there to support his other side. But Kenshin didn't fall; his feet seemed firmly planted to the ground, and it appeared that his balance was not in jeopardy. Megumi left the room to fetch some towels, while Kaoru waited patiently, Kenshin draped over her shoulders.

Kaoru looked at Kenshin. His eyes were still half-shut, but she could see movement beneath his eyelids. _What those eyes must have seen_, she wondered. _He must be dreaming about something_. Kyoto? The past month? The past ten years? _Me?_ "What is it you're thinking about, Kenshin?" she spoke softly, half to him, half to herself. His eyes continued to move.

Megumi returned with an armful of towels and hand rags for cleaning his wounds. She set them down and then filled a bucket of warm water from the bath. She dropped a bar of soap into the bucket, grabbed a couple of hand rags, then pulled the bath stool beside Kenshin.

"Kaoru, would you take off his yukata?" she asked, as she went back to Kenshin's side and held him up.

Kaoru's heart began to pound, and her cheeks flushed momentarily. She knew this was something she had to do for Kenshin, _wanted_ to do for him, but she couldn't help being embarrassed. She had never quite seen him fully naked before—only accidentally at the Hakone hot springs, and even then she turned away quickly—and she didn't know how she would handle seeing him completely exposed. She couldn't help being immature.

_Well_, she thought, setting her jaw. _I'll handle it one way or another_. She dropped Kenshin's arm and went to remove his robe.

-----

Kaoru was shocked, all right, but Kenshin's nudity was the farthest thing from her mind when she finally peeled his yukata off his body.

Kaoru could not take her eyes off of the sight before her. Kenshin's body, pale and fragile, was injured from head to toe. Cuts, slashes and burns covered his entire body. The huge sword cut on his back was oozing so bad his yukata stuck to it when Kaoru tried to remove it. The burn on his chest—burn, in a sword fight?—splashed across his right pectoral. Slashes all over his skin seeped blood and pus openly. Kenshin had been completely mangled, and Kaoru's eyes instantly welled up with tears.

Megumi had prepared her for the worst, after her initial examination of him when he and the others had returned from Mount Hiei. She had explained that he had open wounds all over his body, and that it would take a long time for several of them to close. Kaoru herself had even seen the big cut across his back and the burn on his chest, but Megumi had already treated Kenshin's wounds and had him in bed before she was able to visit him by herself. And, for the most part, Megumi had not wanted too many people to help when she cleaned his wounds. Perhaps for this very reason, so that those helping would not pass out from shock? Whatever the reason, no amount of preparation or imagination could have readied her for this.

Tears were falling uncontrollably from Kaoru's eyes, and she put her hands over her mouth to stop the sobs. Megumi, however, wasn't about to let her lose it. She shot a warning glance at Kaoru, then said to Kenshin, "All right, Ken-san. You can sit down now." Kaoru got the hint and helped Megumi assist Kenshin onto the stool.

Megumi threw a couple of rags into the warm, soapy water while Kaoru tied back the sleeves of her kimono. Kaoru took a couple of deep breathes, willing away the tears and the sorrow in her heart. She was going to have to focus on what she was doing, not dwell on what was already done. She was here to help Kenshin get better, and she sought strength in that thought.

Megumi was already lathering Kenshin up with the soapy rag by the time Kaoru finished tying up her kimono, so Kaoru followed suit and grabbed the other rag in the bucket. She went to lay it across the wound on his left shoulder, but she hesitated before the rag touched his skin. The cut before her was deep—as was every other cut on his body—and she could only think how much it would hurt to scrub it with soapy water. She winced at the thought.

"Don't worry, Kaoru," Megumi said, noticing her hesitation. "If Ken-san can handle the pain of these wounds, he can handle the burn of some soapy water."

Kaoru's eyebrows furrowed, but she nodded and began to scrub.

-----

They spent the better part of a half-hour meticulously scrubbing Kenshin's wounds and what little of his body that had gone unscathed. And Kenshin, with his head hanging, sat motionless the whole time. His cuts, though still gruesome looking, were more bearable to look at with the blood and discharge washed away. Kaoru noticed that the scrubbing had paid off; his skin wasn't quite so pasty, and it now had a pinkish hue. Better color meant better blood flow, and even Kaoru, who was by no means a doctor, knew that meant he was taking one step closer to recovery. She looked at Kenshin sitting there, and she felt some satisfaction.

Megumi dumped the bucket of water over Kenshin's back and stood up. "Would you help me move him to the bath? I think sitting in hot water would do him some good."

"Sure," Kaoru replied. Again, they were at Kenshin's arms, helping him back up and making baby steps towards the bath. Once at the bath side, Megumi helped his leg up and into the bath. Kaoru went to do the same, but Kenshin was already attempting to lift his second leg by himself.

"Good!" Megumi said in delight, and Kaoru smiled. Though Megumi's encouragement did not appear to register on Kenshin's face, it was a good sign that he was making to move for himself. "There," Kaoru encouraged, as Kenshin's other leg came into the bath. They settled Kenshin into the warm, soothing water. Kaoru was afraid to let go of his shoulder, but Megumi let go of his right side and nodded. "I think he's able to sit up on his own."

Kaoru cautiously released him, but Megumi was right. Kenshin sat comfortably on his own in the steaming water, but this time, his head was lifted. His eyes were still glazed over, but his gaze was fixated on something ahead of him.

Megumi smiled at Kaoru. "Thank you for your help. You can go now, if you'd like. I'll call you when I need help getting him out."

"Oh, that's alright," Kaoru replied. "I'll stay. In fact, if you'd like, you can take a break if you want. I know you've been working so hard. I'll stay in here with him."

"Well, I guess I could take this opportunity to look at Sano's hand. Thanks." She got up and left the bath room, but not before saying, "I'll be back in a few minutes."

Kaoru sat down on the edge of the bath. She felt a little silly and sad at the same time, having to watch over Kenshin like a mother watching over her child. Though, when she really thought about it, it wasn't so bad. All the times Kenshin had protected her, saved her, even treated her wounds, now Kaoru could finally do something in return. The thought actually made her a little happier.

Kenshin sat—unsurprisingly—unmoving in the tub, his long ponytail hanging out the side. Kaoru looked at his hair, the fiery redness striking against his fair skin. Kaoru reached out to stroke it, but upon touching it, she grimaced. His lovely hair was a tangle of knots and snarls.

_I supposed_, Kaoru figured,_ that it would be this tangled after laying on it for a week_. Kaoru tried to finger loose some of the knots, but to no avail. She looked around the bath room, hoping that there was a resident bath room comb, but there was none. She was tempted to get her own comb from the room she was staying in, however, that would mean she would have to leave Kenshin alone for a few moments. What if he accidentally lost balance, and fell over? What if he drowned? And all because Kaoru had stepped out for a few moments. She would be to blame for Kenshin horrific death by drowning…

_Seriously_, she thought to herself, quelling her rising fear. She poked at the back of Kenshin's neck. He didn't budge. _Somehow, I think he'll be okay for a few seconds_.

She stood up and walked to the door, then turned back to look at Kenshin. Still unmoving. She let out a breath, then made a quick dash down the hall to her room. She dug around her belongings and found it, then started back towards the bath room. Coming from the kitchen, she could hear Megumi hollering at Sano to stop using him bum hand, and Sano shouting back that there were things he couldn't do without using it. Kaoru then slipped back into the bath room.

There Kenshin was, sitting in the exact same spot as she had left him. She let out a sigh of relief she didn't realize she had been holding, then pulled up the bath stool and sat down behind Kenshin.

Kaoru was almost jealous of Kenshin's hair. Her own hair was plain, black, and not very thick. Kenshin's, on the other hand, was like a mop. His hair was thick, thicker than any female she knew, and long. He never did cut his hair after the revolution, like other swordsmen; instead, he kept his hair in the same swordsman's ponytail. And that color—somewhere in Kenshin's ancestry lay a foreigner, no doubt.

Kaoru pulled out the tie that was holding his hair together and went to work. She started at the bottom, gently brushing out the snarls, and worked her way up. She occasionally hit a snag; when she did, she used her fingers to patiently undo the knot. She continued methodically—brush, snag, untangle, brush, snag, untangle. It became almost rhythmic, soothing, and Kenshin didn't seem to mind. Kenshin also didn't seem to mind Kaoru and Megumi scrubbing soap into his wounds, either, so perhaps his reaction wasn't the best judge of whether Kaoru's combing was painful or not. Kaoru continued anyway, combing as gently as possible.

By the time Megumi returned to the bath room, Kaoru was done combing Kenshin's hair. She had also placed it back in its ponytail, and she stood with the towels Megumi had brought earlier in hand. "Shall we get him out?" she asked.

The two of them pulled Kenshin out of the bath and began to dry him off. Once they had finished, Megumi wrapped him in a clean yukata and the three of them slowly made their way back to Kenshin's room. Megumi had already laid out fresh bandages and the salve she used to apply to his wounds, and as soon as they got him settled back onto the futon, she started to treat the deep wound on his back. Kaoru also helped with his wounds; watching how Megumi had done it, she dressed each of his wounds with salve, then placed a self-adhesive bandage over the wound. Between the two of them, Kenshin was bandaged and asleep in less than half an hour.

It continued that way for the rest of the week. Kaoru and Megumi bathed Kenshin and dressed his wounds every day. Even Sano and Yahiko helped out—they had volunteered to bathe Kenshin one day, while the women went into town for the usual supplies. The bathing was working wonders for Kenshin's wounds; with his cuts clean and sterile, they had no problem closing in a few short days.

Kenshin's mental state soon caught up with his physical state, which was good for more than just himself. Kaoru, who cried every night after tending to Kenshin's wounds, slowly quieted her sobs as Kenshin recovered. At the end of the week, he was more responsive; he was able to sit up and walk with only a little help, and he began to speak intelligibly again. His appetite also came back, which helped his strength. Soon, he was completely back to his usual self, albeit with a few more scratches than he began with. Megumi still had to treat the wound on his back daily, but he no longer needed help bathing.

-----

Kenshin looked down at his cup of tea. The fact was, Kenshin could barely remember anything about being bathed by Kaoru and Megumi. He vaguely remembered sitting in the bath room, wet, and having his hair gently combed, but not much more. He felt guilty at the thought of his friends having to labor so much for him, having to do such unpleasant work in order to preserve his heath.

"Good friends, indeed," Kenshin repeated.


End file.
